NLC seeks end to youth unemployment

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) is seeking ways out of the growing rate of unemployment, which it put at 60 per cent of employable youths.

Its President, Abdul Waheed Omar, who spoke with The Nation, said unemployment is Nigeria’s greatest problem.

He said: “In particular, the crisis of unemployment continues to be the greatest of these. Official statistics puts the unemployment rate at above 24 per cent. As alarming as this would seem, it actually disguises the enormity of the unemployment problem given the huge pool of disguised unemployment and underemployment.

“The incidence of unemployment among the youth is even more alarming. Though official figures indicate over 40 per cent of them as unemployed, the reality is that about 60 per cent of youths remain unemployed. On average, graduates of the nation’s universities and polytechnics continue to remain unemployed four years after discharge from the mandatory NYSC scheme.

Other categories of less qualified youths have been roaming the streets in millions without gainful employment. Thus, resigning to a life of perpetual destitution and despondency in a country blessed with so much resources and potential.’’

Omar traced causes of unemployment to include corruption in the high places. This, according to him, include the fuel subsidy scam through which many influential Nigerians had siphoned much money that could have been used in creating jobs.

He, therefore, called for the probe and trial of fuel subsidy fraudsters, saying that is the only condition for peace in the industrial sector in the new year.

It also said the Labour subsidy strike led to the unveiling of many fraudulent subsidy transactions.

“The government will be unfair to the Nigerians if it fails to expeditiously prosecute those who have stolen so much, and caused so much trauma and death to the people. We hold the view that no one is above the law in any decent society and if our government is committed to the enthronement of good governance and a corrupt-free society, it must get the named beneficiaries of the oil subsidy scam to not only refund all the money they have stolen, but also serve appropriate jail terms. This will be the only acceptable condition for continuous industrial harmony by workers and the Nigerians.”

The NLC chief said the economy, in 2012, was characterised by many maladies, with dire consequences for workers and other Nigerians.

It faulted the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth that has not led to job creation.

“This abysmal economic outlook is prevailing in the face of official aggregate of the economy touted to experience respectable growth. The growth rate of GDP is flaunted to average about 6.5 per cent based on data for the first three quarters of the year. While this is lower than the corresponding rate for 2011, it is way above the global growth rates for comparable national economies.

“However, our concern about this respectable economic growth is that it does not translate into industrial development and better life for the Nigerian people. The economy continues to experience incessant factory closures, and with no visible industrial policy, has led to continuous informalisation of work and de-industrialisation, unemployment has continued unabated, and hyper-inflationary pressure, which has been most severe in the food, energy and transport sub sectors have impoverished majority of Nigerians.”

The high rate of unemployment in Nigeria is worrisome, Therefore this is the good initiative by NLC to reduce unemployment. Unemployment has rendered so many youths useless, as they go around constituting nuisance in the country. They begin to do horrible things like kidnapping, stealing, and so on just to meet their needs and that of their family. Something should be done, I am really happy about this article, because I know that there is hope for Nigeria. A student of Caleb University, Imota.

shewa

I think if the government start paying job seekers allowances and it runs into billions (perhaps trillions), then they would wake up and get youth into employments in order to stop paying those allowances. But until then, this needs to be done urgently in other to reduce the rate of robbery and crimes in our society, and of course the very high level of poverty in the country. Therefore this is a good initiative by (NLC) to reduce unemployment in Nigeria. A student of Caleb University, Imota.

Deborah Elawure

I think if the government start paying job seekers allowances and it runs into billions (perhaps trillions), then they would wake up and get youth into employments in order to stop paying those allowances. But until then, this needs to be done urgently in other to reduce the rate of robbery and crimes in our society, and of course the very high level of poverty in the country. Therefore this is a good initiative by (NLC) to reduce unemployment in Nigeria. A student of Caleb University, Imota.

josphene ade

I must commend us (the youth of Nigeria) for being the most patient youth anywhere in the world. I bet no other country in the world would take what Nigeria youth have been faced with from the time of independence until now. Thank God for something new, I hope the promise is kept

Deborah Elawure

I think if the government start paying job seekers allowances and it runs into billions (perhaps trillions), then they would wake up and get youth into employments in order to stop paying those allowances. But until then, this needs to be done urgently in other to reduce the rate of robbery and crimes in our society, and of course the very high level of poverty in the country, I know the (NLC) intiative will reduce unemployment in Nigeria